The statements given by the survivors at the Danny Masterson trial are what we need to be focussing on

Last week, That ‘70s Show actor Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life for raping two women 20 years ago. Los Angeles judge Charlaine F. Olmedo heard testimony from his accusers — who allege that the Church of Scientology prevented them from reporting the lifelong member to the police.

An investigation was initially launched in 2017, and though Masterson vehemently denied all allegations, two other survivors came forward, and he was promptly dropped from Netflix’s The Ranch. In the end, the jury were unable to reach a majority vote and a judge declared a mistrial. This time around, the same allegations were at the centre of the trial, but with the additional argument that Masterson had drugged them before assaulting them.

The retrial began in late April of this year, lasting over a month, and in the end Danny Masterson was found guilty on two counts of rape by force or fear, though the jury deadlocked on a third rape charge. In a statement given following the conviction, one of Masterson’s survivors said: “I am experiencing a complex array of emotions – relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness – knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face accountability for his criminal behaviour.”

Character letters

Former That ‘70s Show co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were among 50 people who wrote letters to the judge in support of the now convicted rapist. Debra Jo Rupp, who played Kitty, Kurtwood Smith, who played Red, and his brother Christopher Masterson, who played Francis in Malcolm In the Middle were among the others who attempted to minimise his sentence.

In Kutcher’s letter, he writes: “While I’m aware that the judgement has been cast as guilty on two counts of rape by force and the victims have a great desire for justice, I hope that my testament to his character is taken into consideration in sentencing. I do not believe he is an ongoing harm to society and having his daughter raised without a present father would [be] a tertiary injustice in and of itself.”

Kunis adds in her own letter: “I wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson’s exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him. His dedication to leading a drug-free life and the genuine care he extends to others make him an outstanding role model and friend.”

Naturally, the couple have faced backlash for their attempt to assert that a man cannot be a ‘good friend’ and a rapist simultaneously, and it raised the very valid question: Why were they trying to defend a rapist in the first place?

Something adjacent to an apology was released. “We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher began, with Kunis concluding the abrupt video by saying, “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.”

Though she did not directly link her statement to Kutcher and Kunis, actress Christina Ricci alluded to these support letters with a series of Instagram stories. “Sometimes people we have loved and admired do horrible things. They might not do these things to us and we only know who they were to us but that doesn’t mean they didn’t do the horrible things and to discredit the abused is a crime,” she wrote. “People we know as ‘awesome guys’ can be predators and abusers. It’s tough to accept but we have to. If we say we support victims — women, children, men, boys — then we must be able to take this stance.”

The trial itself

Since it seems that much of the genuine importance of this trial has become lost in the furore surrounding Masterson’s former co-stars, we should be focussing on the statements and experiences bravely shared by the survivors throughout the course of the trial, and indeed over the past 20 years, and the role played by the Church of Scientology in silencing victims.

Masterson’s first accuser, Jane Doe I, told jurors that Masterson anally raped her during their first sexual encounter in 2002. She recalled confiding in a Church of Scientology ethics officer afterwards, who she said forced her “to make peace” with what happened: “My understanding, my entire life, was that you can never be a victim … No matter what condition you find yourself in life, no matter how horrible, you are responsible. You created that.”

She also testified that Masterson raped her at his house in 2003, allegedly drugging her so that she passed out and woke up to the actor penetrating her. From there, the actor pulled a gun from his nightstand drawer and ordered her to ‘shut the fuck up’. Masterson’s former girlfriend and second accuser in the trial, Christina B., told the court that he was both physically and emotionally abusive, recalling a night she allegedly woke up to him raping her.

The pair met in 1996, and within weeks he had converted her to Scientology. Speaking about the ‘terror campaign’ the Church allegedly subjected her to after coming forward with her accusations, she says an official told her it wasn’t possible to rape one’s girlfriend and that it was her job to give Masterson ‘sex whenever he wanted’.

Jane Doe II testified that Masterson violently raped her in 2003. “I did not want any of what was happening,” she said. A Scientologist at the time of the alleged rape, she did not report the incident to police until 13 years later, only understanding it to qualify as rape after she left the Church.

In her statement at the time of sentencing, Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo’s statement said: “Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice and choice. Your actions 20 years ago were criminal, and that is why you are here.”

Victim impact statements

To fully understand the gravity of the cruelty and crimes committed by Danny Masterson, and the role of the Church of Scientology, you must read the victim impact statements of the three survivors. Shared in full on Leah Remini’s Substack account, she writes: “The voices of the women who have suffered for over 20 years must be elevated and platformed.”

“Scientology, its operatives, and agents, all under the command of David Miscavige, continue to traumatise not only the survivors in the case but all those who have already suffered due to Scientology’s evil and criminal practices. Remember that while operatives are all Scientologists, agents for Scientology are not. They are non-scientologists who have decided that money is more important than what is ethical, moral, and often legal.”

It is utterly correct to hold Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and the others who took the time to write character statements in support of a man convicted of rape in an attempt to minimise his sentence. It reiterates to us the dangers of viewing people as fundamentally good or bad, and that just because you haven’t seen it in the flesh or experienced it for yourself, it does not minimise or disprove the lived experiences of others. Someone being a good mentor does not mean that they haven’t raped someone.

Bravely giving voice to the multitude of ways that both Danny Masterson and the Church of Scientology have impacted their lives over the past two decades, read the statements of Jane Doe I, Jane Doe II, and Christina B. here.

You can contact the Rape Crisis Centre National 24-Hour Helpline at 1800 778 888, at any time of day or night. They offer a free and confidential listening and support service for anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted, sexually harassed or sexually abused at any time in their lives.